RIYADH: At one point, the viability of esports as a global industry was still being questioned. Yet competitions such as Gamers8 and the Esports World Cup have helped reshape the landscape, providing new building blocks for a sector once seen as difficult to scale.
Going beyond just competitions, however, Saudi Arabia launched an initiative that continues to expand in its support of the sport’s biggest clubs. The EF Club Partner Program, an industry-leading $20 million initiative, currently supports 40 premier esports clubs from around the world, an expansion on what started as a 20-club program.
More than $100 million has been distributed directly to clubs across the program and the EWC over the past three years, with more expected to come as the 2026 EWC purse rises to $75 million, a 20 percent increase from the purse in the debut edition in 2024.
The initiative continues to highlight Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role in the growth of the sport. EF Chief Product Officer Faisal bin Homran discussed the ongoing success of the Club Partner Program.
“Initiatives like the Club Partner Program allow us to create sustainability for the sport in the long run,” he said.
“The long-term vision of the program is to expand its global reach while strengthening the commercial sustainability of esports clubs.
“It also seeks to deepen collaboration between clubs and the Esports World Cup through dedicated content initiatives, while establishing the program as a central pillar for organizations participating in the esports ecosystem.”
While the top eight clubs from the EWC Club Championship standings received direct invitations, competitive results are not the only factor for clubs considered for the Club Partner Program.
“Audience reach is the No. 1 criterion for selecting clubs that take part in the Club Partner Program,” Bin Homran confirmed. “Competitive results are important, but fan engagement and the ability to connect with audiences are the key factors we look for.”
Executives of Saudi Arabia’s top clubs also spoke at the Rumble, discussing the impact such programs have had on their organizations.
Ibrahim bin Jibreen, founder and CEO of Twisted Minds, said the program brings a breath of fresh air to the industry. “The Club Partner Program revitalized the esports scene in ways we haven’t seen before. The exposure, the connections and the support it provides have been extremely valuable for organizations like ours.”
Musaed Al-Dossary, CEO of Team Falcons, expanded on the point. “The program and the championship work hand in hand,” he said. “It creates a complete ecosystem — from the foundation to the teams and ultimately the players themselves.”
Saudi Arabia’s growing investment in esports has helped position it at the center of the industry’s rapid global expansion — and Bin Homran believes the sport’s global rise is only just beginning.
“I think that, in the next five years, esports will become one of the three most popular sports in the world,” he told Arab News.
“And within the next decade, when you consider participation, sponsorship and viewership, esports could rank among the most popular sports globally — if not the most popular.”
